Indian Accent Opens At The Lodhi: Chef Manish Mehrotra On His New Address

India’s numero uno restaurant has a new home at The Lodhi. It’s bigger. It’s better. We are delighted to share that the multi award-winning Indian Accent (with a consecutive three-year appearance on World’s 50 Best list and Asia’s 50 Best list) retains its Old World charm with minimalist interiors that are redolent of The Manor (oh you know it, you’re comparing it inside your head!). The Manor was, after all, the place where a lot of culinary wizardry went into pinning the sleepy little neighbourhood on must-visit lists of gourmands from across the world. At Indian Accent at The Lodhi, the ambience is plush but not OTT. A marigold studded entrance via the glass door, warm smiles and familiar faces of the staff, make us feel at home at the new address in a blink. DSSC gets chatting with Corporate Chef, Manish Mehrotra, who was busy planning the London launch of Indian Accent when the liquor ban forced suspension of alcohol service at Indian Accent, and thus this sudden but well-thought move.

With the Supreme Court’s ban on the sale of alcohol within 500m of state and national highways, and The Manor falling right in that zone, a new location for Indian Accent was the need of the hour. The various courses of the Chef’s Tasting menu were paired with a classic wine varietal each, be it entrées or dessert. The very concept was left indented. The move was imminent and inevitable.

Chef Manish speaks straight from the heart as he shares, “There was immense nostalgia associated with Indian Accent at The Manor for that is where it all started nine years ago. The Manor was where Indian Accent also shot to fame. But we didn’t really have a choice (because of the liquor ban) except moving.” And move they did; with aplomb. On zeroing in on The Lodhi, No. 2 in the world for the 2017 Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards, as the new location, chef shares, “We were looking for a place which would match the ambience of The Manor. And here we are, at The Lodhi. I am very happy with the shift and how it has all taken shape. This place is beautiful. It is also more luxurious. Patrons who have visited us thus far are really happy too as they don’t have to navigate the traffic at Ashram Chowk. Hearing them makes us do a happy dance.”

The ambassador of inventive Indian food, Chef Manish, always had a burning desire to make people taste Indian food beyond Chicken Tikka Masala and naan. He is credited with showcasing hitherto unexplored Indian cuisines and dishes to the global audience. And we reckon sampling his food might have just gotten a tad easier. The three private dining rooms overlooking the waterfront have “slightly more covers than The Manor.” Not only that, Indian Accent is set to take on the space on the first floor too (the one that used to host those sumptuous dimsum meals back in the day), adding yet more covers.

“There are new dishes on the menu, cocktails to kick-start tipple times, and an extensive wine list (better than before). We have changed the Chef’s Tasting menu to add a number of minor courses, but prices remain same,” he says. We prod him about the new dishes and instinctively pick up the silverware at the prospect of digging into Tamarind Crab, Beans Foogath, Coconut Curry; Pork belly Tikka, Punjabi Lobhia Curry, Smoked Papad; Chicken Meatballs, Green Chilli Cream, Truffle butter. There’s more. A ‘Chef’s Table’ is on the horizon, and if we heard things right (Tamarind Crab has us captivated), it’s going to be no less than a culinary adventure in wonderland. We’re counting days to our next supper at the spanking new restaurant when Chef Manish (who is currently jet-setting his way across London and New York for six weeks) is back handling the ladle of his magical pot.